Portland's best sandwich shops
Somewhere after the 60th sandwich, it was time to call it quits.
With four new sandwich shops opening since the end of last year -- The Baker's Mark, Figlia Americana, Guero and Stacked -- it was past time to update our guide to Portland's best sandwich shops.
Easier said than done.
After sampling most of of the menu at each of the four new shops, we were already more than 20 sandwiches deep. We had to find a way to take the measure of whole sandwich shop based on just a sandwich or two. And after asking our readers for their list of favorite sandwiches, we still had dozens of places to visit before we were through.
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Methodology
Individual sandwich surveys have been done. We wanted a guide to whole sandwich shops. In an ideal world, that would mean we would try and rank each sandwich at every Portland sandwich shop. For expediency reasons, that wasn't going to work. Here's how we did it:
What's a sandwich shop?
There are open-faced avocado toasts, line-worthy egg sandwiches and scratch-made PB&Js tucked into nooks and crannies all over the city. But does one great sandwich make a sandwich shop? We didn't think so. In order to qualify for our guide, each restaurant had to offer more than four sandwiches at a time during open lunch hours. That seemed like a fair cutoff between true sandwich shops and moonlighting bakeries, cafes and brunch spots, even if it meant missing out on some great sandwiches.
Popularity contest
That narrowed our list down to just more than 30 places. Now, what to order? Instead of walking in and picking blindly, we decided to ask the cashier at each shop to name their restaurant's most popular sandwich. If they said turkey -- and they invariably said turkey -- we asked for the second-most popular, under the reasoning that life should be more than an unending string of turkey sandwiches. If we really liked the sandwich -- like, Top-10 Contender liked it -- we ordered another. And so on.
Tie goes to the...
In the case of ties, we picked true sandwich shops over, say, restaurants that have sandwiches at lunch. In other words, sit-down service and fancy menus weren't deal breakers, but they weren't exactly pluses, either.
Building something good
Of course, I'm no Portland neophyte. I've been eating sandwiches in this city on both the pro and amateur circuits for 11 years. I brought in previous experience where appropriate, though as I learned, I had a lot of pre-conceived notions about Portland's sandwich scene. Some held up. Others were blown apart. Combining these individual visits with a decade of experience proved interesting -- like comparing a fresh snapshot to a faded scrapbook. And it produced some interesting results, including a surprise top pick (though one that makes sense in hindsight).
Portland's 17 best sandwich shops, ranked
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 17: Foster & Dobbs
This longtime Irvington boutique serves nicely pressed panini on flour-y bread with good charcuterie and chevre and sprightly sides of greens in its handsome shop and pleasant front patio. Pictured: The Hot Italian, with hot coppa, provolone and Mama Lil's spicy peppers.
2518 N.E. 15th Ave., 503-284-1157, fosteranddobbs.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 16: Brass Tacks
Though perhaps better known for its vegan-friendly sandwiches, this North Portland shop knows its way around meat as well. The salami comes with an antipasto plate's worth of cured and vinegared ingredients, including pepperoncini, black olives and a balsamic reduction.
3535 N. Vancouver Ave., 503-309-4412, brasstackssandwiches.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 15: Beaverton Sub Station
The Northwest isn't really sub country. Our tastes run more toward creative spins on cubanos or banh mi. So for any East Coast transplants, know that there's a 35-year-old, train-themed deli that fills fluffy rolls with cold cuts, tomato and iceberg lettuce in central Beaverton. For traditionalists, it just might be a taste of home.
12448 S.W. Broadway St., Beaverton; 503-641-7827; beavertonsubstation.com
No. 14: Best Baguette
Unlike subs, Portland is bonkers for banh mi, especially the traditional Vietnamese versions on light, crusty fresh-baked bread with pickled carrots and daikon and plenty of fresh cilantro. a $3.95 dac biet (combo) sandwich from the Beaverton shop won a recent blind taste test at our office, and Portlanders will appreciate the Southeast location's drive-through.
8308 S.E. Powell Blvd., Portland and 3635 S.W. Hall Blvd., Beaverton; thebestbaguette.com
No. 13: Kenny & Zuke's
From our least expensive sandwich to our most expensive. This downtown Portland deli has earned its reputation by building tasty sandwiches out of quality pastrami, corned beef, egg salad and more. And they're still good, especially alongside a float made with PDX Soda Works root beer. Be forewarned: The Reuben runs $15.75, not quite Katz' Delicatessen prices, but not far off.
1038 S.W. Stark St., 2376 N.W. Thurman St. and a new location at Portland International Airport; kennyandzukes.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 12: Roman Candle
Better known for the Roman-style pizza bianca cooked in its wood-burning oven, this gorgeous Southeast Division Street bakery also has a tidy sandwich menu of Italianate sandwiches. The signature is probably the Sloppy Giuseppe, a spin on the sloppy joe with beef and pork ragu stuffed into a triangle of focaccia-esque bread.
3377 S.E. Division St., 971-302-6605, romancandlebaking.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 11: Old Salt Marketplace
No surprise here. Besides aging their own beef, this Northeast Portland restaurant makes tasty sandwiches at lunch on bread made specifically for the deli by Grano, the up-and-coming Oregon City bakery. You'll want the roast beef on crunchy country levain, naturally.
5027 N.E. 42nd Ave., 971-255-0167, oldsaltpdx.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 10: The Baker's Mark
The laid-back Southeast Division Street sandwich shop with glass-bottle sodas and a choose-your-own adventure approach to sandwiches is bringing sub nostalgia back to close-in Portland. Order The Godfather, a classic Italian stuffed with Genoa salami, mortadella, capocollo, ham and prosciutto.
Read more: The Baker's Mark brings sub nostalgia to inner Southeast Portland
1100 S.E. Division St., thebakersmark.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 9: Shut Up and Eat
Loud, proud and rapidly taking over its block with a dessert case next door and a party room with TVs tuned to baseball 'round back, this Philadelphia-strong sandwich shop is best known for its Broad St. Bomber, a cheesesteak made with thinly sliced beef, fried onions, a mix of the right melting cheeses and your choice of mild or hot peppers. It's the right kind of wrong.
3848 S.E. Gladstone St., 503-719-6449, shutupandeatpdx.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 8: Pastrami Zombie
Just down the block from Old Salt Marketplace is this rambunctious cart -- a spin-off of Ashland's scratch-everything Sammich -- known for its Montreal-style brined-and-smoked pastrami. The pastrami on rye is a classic, with cole slaw and house Russian or mustard (or both), but keep your eye out on the specials board for the occasional Reuben (pictured).
5427 N.E. 42nd Ave., 541-301-2197, pastramizombie.com
No. 7: Meat Cheese Bread
Over the past decade, I've probably eaten more sandwiches at this laid-back Southeast Portland sandwich shop than anywhere else in town. I like the vibe, the Fleur de Lis ciabatta rolls, the breakfast burrito and the perfectly crisp Nueske's bacon. The asparagus-egg sandwich (pictured) and the BLB, which subs beet for tomato in a classic BLT, work even better than you might think. Who said progress was dead?
1406 S.E. Stark St., 503-234-1700, meatcheesebread.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 6: Devil's Dill
This cult-favorite Southeast Hawthorne shop stays open late, lets you take sandwiches over to the adjacent No Fun bar, and serves sandwiches with lemon-y kale on nicely charred Fleur de Lis ciabatta. The turkey and albacore are standbys, but the specials -- recently a house-made sauerbraten with mustard sauce, braised red cabbage and rye aioli -- are usually worth a special trip.
1711 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., 503-236-8067, devilsdill.com
The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 5: Bunk
Nearly 10 years and a half-dozen locations in, Portland's signature sandwich shop still brings it with their pork belly cubano, roasted poblana torta and the city's best egg-and-cheese. For the best experience, ignore the Moda Center location and focus on OG shops, particularly Southeast Morrison Street.
Multiple locations, though if it's your first time, go to 621 S.E. Morrison St.; bunksandwiches.com
Stephanie Yao Long | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 4: Stacked
The best two or three sandwiches at this new Southeast Portland shop are as good as if not better than anywhere else in town. Which two? You won't want to leave without trying the braised oxtail French dip (the dip is a rosemary-steeped jus) and the roast lamb leg with pesto chevre.
Read more: Stacked's braised oxtail French dip is already one of Portland's best sandwiches
1643 S.E. Third Ave., 971-279-2731, stackedsandwichshop.com
Stephanie Yao Long | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 3: Guero
For the past four years, Megan Sanchez and Alec Morrison have made great tortas from a petite Silver Streak trailer parked on Southeast 28th Avenue. At their new home, they have room to experiment. If you go, get the esquites, the classic tequila-based margarita and any torta on the menu. And if you don't mind a little mess, consider the desayuno, with braised beef and a fried egg, or a saucy ahogada (pictured).
Read more:
Guero is the torta shop of Portland's dreams
200 N.E. 28th Ave., 503-887-9258, gueropdx.com
No. 2: Lardo
Before the first sandwich shop, before the production bakery built mostly to make him bread, Rick Gencarelli ran a little cart on Southeast Belmont Street. But Gencarelli had a plan. From the start, the former New England chef hoped to team up with Kurt Huffman's ChefStable group and open a brick-and-mortar home or two for his creative, pork-filled sandwiches. The two best and best-selling sandwiches, the Korean pork shoulder and the meatball banh mi, ply the same creative, globally inspired waters as Bunk -- only with an OCD level of consistency across both shops. The griddled mortadella is practically a work of art, with thin, crisp slices of meat, stringy melted provolone and Mama Lil's Peppers on ciabatta designed by Philippe's bakery to resemble the rolls at Fleur de Lis. If I did this roundup 10 times, Lardo would come out on top at least five or six of them.
1212 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. and 1215 S.W. Washington Ave., lardosandwiches.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
No. 1: Laurelhurst Market
But not this time. Instead, our top spot goes to Laurelhurst Market's deli, which serves its impressive sandwiches seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., using meat smoked and cured in-house and plenty of Fleur de Lis bread (accept no imitations). Each day brings fresh specials, and some of those make blips, including Wednesday's mighty steak melt (as good as you would expect from one of Portland's top steakhouses) and last year's "five napkin" chicken, a smoked and grilled chicken sandwich that's already landed its own spin-off restaurant, Big's Chicken, coming later this month to 5663 N.E. Glisan St. But by and large, these sandwiches have flown under our radar. The top seller, the ham and salami, has existed in some form since the Laurelhurst Market team ran Viande Meats, and for my money, it's the best Italian sandwich in town, with house-smoked ham, good salami, shredded iceberg, spicy mayo, red onions, pepperoncinis and vinaigrette. Sandwiches here tend to be salty, tart and fresh in all the right ways at all the right times, with the right condiments, the right garnishes and the right meats. In other words, Laurelhurst Market's sandwiches are just right.
3155 E. Burnside St., 503-206-3097, laurelhurstmarket.com
Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
More on Laurelhurst Market
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